TAMPA — Tampa is the eighth-best city in the United States to travel to for business, according to a new study.

On Call International, a travel risk management company, evaluated the country's 20 biggest markets for how friendly they are for business traveler needs such as on-time flights and reasonably priced hotels.

"Clients, customers and partners may not be sympathetic when it comes to missed meetings or late deliverables in today's always-on digital work environments," Thomas Davidson, vice president of On Call, said in a release. "Staying connected while avoiding major obstacles like flight delays and gridlock traffic is paramount to a road warrior's productivity and success."

The markets were judged on factors including hotel prices, 4G LTE coverage, traffic, emergency room efficiency and timeliness of flights.

Of the 20 markets, Tampa ranks third for its 4G LTE coverage, fourth for hotel affordability and seventh for low traffic. It came in below average — 11th — for its emergency room efficiency and 13th for how often flights are on-time.

Last year, Tampa International Airport sought to increase business travel to the city by securing a nonstop flight between Tampa and San Francisco. The United Airlines route was expected to make it easier to access Silicon Valley's plethora of investors and connections. Tampa International also added a direct flight to Salt Lake City this month.

Ground transportation is also becoming easier for business travelers in the Tampa area as Uber and Lyft rise in popularity. Yellow Cab, a taxi company, is currently pushing for the rideshare companies to pay for the right to take customers to and from Tampa International.

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